James Geller, of West Orange, a professor in the department of computer science, in NJIT’s College of Computing Sciences has been selected to receive the Professional Development Award at NJIT’s University Convocation, an annual celebration to be held Sept. 14, 2011.

Convocation at NJIT traditionally honors select faculty and staff members who have demonstrated the highest level of excellence over a sustained period.

(ATTENTION EDITORS: Hi-res photos of the researcher will be taken at the event. To receive a copy and/or set up an interview, call Sheryl Weinstein, 973-596-3436.)

Broadcaster, author and motivational speaker Steve Adubato will speak at the event. A university lecturer, Emmy Award-winning television anchor, and Star-Ledger columnist, Adubato also served in the mid-1980s as New Jersey's youngest state legislator at age 26. Previously, Adubato anchored three PBS broadcasts including Caucus: New Jersey, an Emmy Award-winning public affairs television series.

“Jim is an excellent teacher who is always focused on ensuring that his students learn the latest in computing technology,” said Narain Gehani, dean of the College of Computing Sciences. “He is always there for the students and ready to help. I have met alumni from many years ago who fondly remember him.”

Geller actively researches two areas in computer science: medical informatics and semantic web search. In the field of medical informatics, together with Yehoshua Perl, PhD, another professor in his department at NJIT, the pair has developed theories and software tools for auditing and displaying medical terminologies. Geller focuses on widely-used medical terms including the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) and the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine - Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT). His work in semantic web search aims to create a friendlier knowledge-based user interface for an existing commercial search engine.

Over a 22-year career at NJIT Geller has established himself as a superb teacher and researcher. His work has been previously recognized by two Excellence in Teaching awards, a research award, and designation in 2010 as a Master Teacher.

Never one to rest on his laurels, Geller has continued to blaze new trails. An established researcher in other domains, Geller recently added medical informatics to his areas of expertise, winning $2 million in federal grants.

His colleagues honored him this year for his outstanding success in integrating professional development, research and teaching in the new interdisciplinary area of medical informatics, a subject at the crossroads of computer science and medicine. He simultaneously transfers his cutting-edge knowledge to his students, developing two new medical informatics courses. His colleagues praise his “gift for curriculum development.” His students praise his inspiration and support, describing him as “dynamic,” “thoughtful,” and “kind.” His interactive lectures and innovative course design make learning a pleasure, his students note, “like inhaling a breath of fresh air.”

One of the nation's leading public technological universities, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is a top-tier research university that prepares students to become leaders in the technology-dependent economy of the 21st century. NJIT's multidisciplinary curriculum and computing-intensive approach to education provide technological proficiency, business acumen and leadership skills. With an enrollment of more than 10,000 graduate and undergraduate students, NJIT offers small-campus intimacy with the resources of a major public research university. NJIT is a global leader in such fields as solar research, nanotechnology, resilient design, tissue engineering, and cyber-security, in addition to others. NJIT ranks 5th among U.S. polytechnic universities in research expenditures, topping $110 million, and is among the top 1 percent of public colleges and universities in return on educational investment, according to PayScale.com.